


Rise

by Astha6069 (AllegraRiiz)



Category: League of Legends, Original Work
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Violence, Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fights, Mild Gore, Talking To Dead People
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-15 05:00:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29058636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllegraRiiz/pseuds/Astha6069
Summary: Rhioga woke up in the middle of mountain of corpses, without any memories of who he was. When he look at certain direction, a giant tower standing tall, and an invisible force gently pushes him to go to the said tower. With weapons in hands, he starts his journey, slowly recollecting his past memories.As he clashes swords with the enemies, fragment of his past returns, bring back the forgotten moments; the fight he won, the sacrifice of his fallen comrades, and his beloved.





	Rise

**Author's Note:**

> DO NOT REPOST OR REUPLOAD!!
> 
> A commission for Yoga Prayodi featuring his OC, based on League of Legends World Championship 2018  
> RISE (ft. The Glitch Mob, Mako, and The Word Alive)

_[What is your worth?]_

Heavy voice, barely audible amidst the wind. Cloud surrounding the tower is shifting fast, creating a barrier of thick smoke. It physically stops nothing from coming closer, but the image alone is enough for anyone to think twice. Pushing through the thick cloud, what kind of sight are they going to see?

Rhioga is a few steps away from reaching the top. His energy nearly depleted from all the walking, running, climbing…

Fighting.

Sweat rolls down from his temple, washing away the dried blood dirtying his face. The wind is strong and chilling, yet doesn’t stop him from sweating. His breath fumes with each sigh. His grip around the arrow nearly loosen. Those voices he has been hearing, overlapping, both encourage him to keep going while the other screams for him to give in. At this point, he really wishes his mind to go numb.

_[What is your worth?]_

It rings again, a distorted voice that comes forward every once in a while, shutting the countless screams in an instant.

_[What is… my worth?]_

Rhioga asks the same thing.  
As his world fell apart, leaving nothing but emptiness over this long and lonely journey, the question popped not just once or twice. Mountains of corpses he bypassed every time, not a single soul he found alive. Yet here he is, in the middle of nowhere, fighting for his meaningless life for reasons he couldn’t think of. What for?

_What am I fighting for?_

The heat of summer that year is a bit too much.

From the distance, the crows are gathering in the sky, eyeing mountains of corpses piling on the ground. Foul smell from each direction; rotting flesh, burning plants, bloodied ground, mixed into one created hellish aftermath of a hard-fought battle. The war seems to come to an end. Which side is the winner?

Something shifts from the corner. A hand stretches out, grasps empty air. Hitched breath can be heard soon after, and a man surges from the corpses buried him under.

_Where…_

He pants, groans in pain as his wounds reopen from his frantic moves. The heat of summer adds more to his misery, gives another load to his nerve-wracking headache.

_Where… am I?_

He squints his eyes, trying to make out his surroundings through his blurry sight. The sun blazing from above unforgivingly burns everything on the ground. Too much. As if the wounds around his body aren’t enough to kill him, now the sun is burning him alive as well. 

With his last bit of strength, he crawls out from the mountain of corpses served as his shade. Dragging his legs on the burning ground, he almost can hear the sizzling coming from his flesh. Sweats dripping as much, mixed with his painful tears, what torture. All he wants is to reach the contaminated lake a few meters ahead. The lake which already changed color thanks to the blood flowing nonstop from somewhere else. He has no choice. In that situation, a bloody lake sounds like a better option than grilled alive by the scorching sun.

Smells of iron enter his nostrils. As the water came in contact with his wounds, he winced a bit. Hunger and fatigues are more than enough to wear him down, to force him to sit still and just wait for… maybe for his end. The piling corpses as far as his eyes could see tells more than enough about the situation, though he really doesn’t remember why he ends up in this place.

Or rather, he remembers not a single thing. Not even his own name.

_Who am I? Where is this?_

Every time his confusion hits him, a massive headache will take company. The more he thinks, the louder the thumping, hitting his brain mercilessly. And his senses are still jumbling to help him make a calming decision. The only choice he has for now is to leave the area. Staying in this graveyard will do no good for any sane human, let alone himself who is still thrown in the pool of confusion.

As he walks, dragging his legs under that unforgiving heat, he notices a bunch of crows has been following him despite many already in the middle of devouring the corpses. His body shivers. Has he been emitting a smell of death already?

 _It’s fine, Rhioga_ , a female voice whispers gently into his mind from behind, _you’ll make it out alive_

He turns around. Behind him is nothing but a gruesome image of a warzone. There is not a single thing depicting any kind of hope. Yet the voice sounds so soothing.

“...Who?” His voice sounds a bit too hoarse in his ears.

_Rhioga… is that my name?_

There is no answer. Aside from the hot wind gusting, only sounds of a crow he could ever hear. He walks again, forces his legs to move faster. It creeps him, the shapeless voice has the power to lure him in. Bewitched him. Whatever it is, it may be up to no good. He couldn’t trust anything when he couldn’t even trust himself. With his mind as white as a blank canvas, only the never-ending distress and anxiety comes to his mind.

_You will find your way, I’m sure_

Said that woman again. For some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to fight back, to ignore her words. His eyes wander around, trying to find something, anything. Something shifts from the corner of his eye, and he sees it in the far distance.

A tower, standing tall and menacing.

He couldn’t see the top as it was covered by a thick cloud. If he squints, he could see countless cliffs, destroyed mountains made out as a natural gate. Just looking at it is enough to give him the freeze. How long will it take to climb those icy mountains?

_You have that power, Rhioga. Your strength is more than enough to reach the top, to overthrow the demon_

“Is that… my name?”

_Believe me, as I always believe you. All of us entrust our power to you_

“All of you?” He looks up at the clear sky. Something inside him stirs. A blurry image popped into his mind, a silhouette of someone standing next to him, called his name. “Rhioga… is me.”

=====

The dark sky above shimmers from the glittering stars. Beneath, Rhioga stares at it, dozing off on the cold sand. His mind wanders, searching for any kind of dirt in his blank memory. Another piece he might be able to recall aside from that blurry silhouette.

_Who are you?_

He clenches and unclenches his hand. The feeling lingers around his palm, the sensation of having that person holding his hand in hers. The warmth, the peace. It’s the same as when that voice reached him. Is she the same figure as that voice?

Rhioga has spent a few days wandering the place. Wherever his foot set, he could only see the gruesome image of dead earth. Maybe mother nature hasn’t completely abandoned it, as the scenery is still breathtakingly beautiful. Yet it doesn’t cast away the victim of the war which seemed to have ended before he regained consciousness. But the farther he walked, the more he realized what they faced might be… something more terrifying than a mere human.

Rhioga sits, glances at the weapons lying beside him. When he was about to leave that place, he knew he was going to need a weapon if his guess about the inhumane enemies is true. While walking around, some items caught his interest right away. Albeit there is nothing peculiar about those weapons compared to thousands of others, he just couldn’t bring himself to ignore it. In that graveyard, not a single soul alive would yell at him for looting. Whoever is the owner of those weapons, he hopes their spirit won’t linger to possess it. He is not in any capacity to deal with vengeful spirits.

Each weapon has the owner’s name carved on them. Not all of it is still readable, but Rhioga feels like he can make out the whole characters, the names. It rings something overly familiar, exactly like the voice of that invincible woman. Judging from how he woke up there, more or less he must be a part of the group clashing in the war. If he closes his eyes and concentrates, he is sure he can hear the sound of swords clashing, the splattering blood, the yells. Albeit he remembers none of it, he can still sense his own strength. To be the only soul survived already means something. As much as it baffles him why he is the only one that still exists, there is no answer he could get by staying at that place. He needs to go somewhere else. That giant tower, for now, is the only clue he has.

He lies back down and closes his eyes. As his consciousness fades away to the dreamland, the woman whispers again.

_We’ll reach that place for sure, right?_

Rhioga has lost count of how many cliffs he climbed. His nails are pretty much torn apart, barely give him any pain from how numb it has become. The cold steam blows every time he exhales and blurry his vision a bit. But at this height, there is nothing to see aside from higher cliffs or vast ground. The luscious meadow he saw a few days ago is no more.

_Rhioga…_

He exhales heavily. The loneliness hugging his legs has become a bit too much to handle. It drags his legs as if trying to stop him from going further. He is lying if he says it doesn’t affect him. Nearly a month since he set off for his journey to reach the tower, yet it doesn’t seem like he gets any closer. The distance remains. The fatigue slowly catching up. The eerie silence he has to bear every single night, cold and nerve-wracking, accompanied by a strange voice alone. He is sure he has gone insane.

“Maybe I better stop…” He has developed a habit of talking loudly to himself. “What’s the point, I wonder…”

_Don’t give up, Rhioga. You’re on the right path_

And just like that, the voice retorted. Rhioga sighs for the nth times that day as a response.

“There will be a lot of things I have to face, won’t it?” Honestly, he is a bit surprised by how nonchalant his voice sounds. “Before I’m able to fight back, it seems like I’m already dead tired from all this walking.”

It’s dead silent, Rhioga already figured as much.

The voice might be not real. It could be a manifestation of his own frustration, his desperation to have something as leverage. Yes, he doesn’t want to die in waste, but searching for a single purpose is too much of a hassle. He nearly has no energy to do so. His blank memory might be a big factor since it doesn’t help him find a goal. And the hollow he feels deep in his heart, eating him from inside…

He wonders if this amnesia is a good thing. His gut tells him he had lost too many things. Remembering the pain will hinder him from moving forward, that’s for sure. His mind will be filled with the memories of those has lost.

_But… isn’t it the job of those alive to remember the lost ones?_

“Do you really think I’m on the right path?” Rhioga stretches out his hand towards the glowing full moon, “Without me knowing, the comrades I don’t remember already fell in the war.”  
_We trust you_  
“You should have fought on your own.”  
_There is only one champion_  
“I don’t want to be a hero.”  
_You already are, since the beginning_  
“What’s the point if no one is celebrating my win?”

Dead silent again.

“Even if I, we, become the loser against whatever it is… it’s still much better since we’re all together, isn’t it?” Rhioga bites his lips until bleeding. “Leaving me here all by myself, aren’t you guys too selfish?”

_Forgive us, Rhioga_

Rhioga closes his eyes. Aside from the silhouette of that woman holding his hand, there are others. Unlike the reality presented when he opens his eyes, this foreign piece of memory is much more calming.

Unfortunately, it is nothing but a memory.

=====

_[Prove yourself]_

The words keep ringing, said by a heavy voice barely audible in his ears. His journey never gets any easier. But the closer he walks towards the tower, the more he feels eyes are on him, watching every movement. The curious, peering eyes send no hint of danger, but it doesn’t bother hiding the aura circling around it. This something is strong.

_You can do it, Rhioga_

“How? I don’t want to fight anyone.”

But he knows he has to. He feels it, lurking in the dark while keeping its distance from where he is. Someday, this thing will charge on him, stopping him from getting any closer to the tower. It will be the first obstacle he needs to bypass. And even the first trial doesn’t bother to give him some kind of handicap.

“I am but a single man. I won’t be able to…”  
_No matter how many you face, you will always win_  
Rhioga inhales deeply. “I need to prove myself to who?” He is ready to be faced with another silence. He didn’t expect that woman would give an answer.

_To yourself_

His grip around the wood stick tightens. Her answer is really unexpected. He stops walking, sits with legs crossing on his spot as he watches the cloudy sky above. Yes, no one needs validation but himself. This journey he took was not for anyone; not for this woman or his fallen comrade. It’s for himself. He needs proof to validate his survival, that he is worthy to be the last man standing.

_This is your time, Rhioga. Your moment to shine_  
_To rise_

The sky shifts. From afar, the thunder roars. It is a sign of something, the first trial he needs to face. The curious eyes have been peering now letting out their killing intent. It didn’t wait for him to be ready because it wanted him to fail. 

_But I won’t fail_

Rhioga unsheathes his swords, blocks the attack that comes from behind. A second late, he surely will lose his head. Sounds of swords clashing send screeching enough to deafen whoever is near. It pushed him a step backward, blasted out the grass behind. Rhioga raises his head and meets its gaze. In the shape of a fine warrior with a face hard to make out, it shows its fangs amidst the black cloud hiding its visage, grins at him creepily.

Rhioga tightens his grip around his swords and pushes back. A hit, second hit, third hit, it blocks every attack he launched. He nearly couldn’t hear its step whenever it got closer. Fighting in a wide space with the wind gusting so strong has become his disadvantage. Even the cloud now covering the sun from reaching the ground, dims his vision from seeing his enemy.

Yet none of it comes to falter his stance.

Each swing of their swords cut through the grass. Sounds of metal clashing, the sparks coming from each blow. None lower their guard, thrusts their weapon forward intending to kill. A block followed by a plunge, aiming for each other’s neck above.

_I can hit it, he thought, it has a physical form_

Rhioga swiftly flipped the blade in his right hand and swung up. It reacts right away, only a few millimeters from where its head was, saves itself from being sliced open. Rhioga clicks his tongue but doesn’t lose his composure, charging again giving no time for it to launch a counter-attack. The eerie grin on its face slowly dimmed as Rhioga pushed him back. He can tell it’s annoyed, bit by bit getting impatient because it needs to be on the defensive for a while.

“Wipe that grin out of your face.”

His voice is cold and demanding, as if already claimed his upcoming victory. As expected, his tone angers this strange creature. It wobbles on its feet, grunting furiously as it took a few steps back. The shift in the sky is getting more apparent, like it got affected by this creature’s fury. But for Rhioga, it becomes his advantage. Maybe it thinks he won’t be able to see it if the sky turns dark.

_For a Keeper, it has a naive line of thought_

Rhioga throws his blade towards it. Though a bit late, it still has enough time to dodge the blade and charges back. But as it swings its sword, Rhioga disappears from its sight. Its eyes widened slightly, caught off-guard, unprepared to block another attack coming from above. When it lifts its head, the tip of Rhioga’s blade is only an inch away from its eyes. 

Thunderclaps along with Rhioga’s fatal blow, blasting the creature to dust in an instant.  
.

.  
_‘We’ll go. To the tower.’_  
_‘What’s in there, actually?’_  
_‘That’s what we're gonna find out. No one makes it out alive to tell the story. There’s no other choice but to see it ourselves.’_  
_‘If it’s as dangerous as you said, then we shouldn’t. It’s suicide.’_  
_‘But it's worth the sacrifice, don’t you think?’_  
_‘....’_  
_‘Don’t worry too much, Rhioga. You’re strong, you know? Maybe we won’t survive, but you will. I’m sure of it.’_  
_‘What’s the point of me surviving if you guys didn’t?’_  
_‘You have the responsibility to pass down our story.’_  
.

.  
_I said the truth. You really survived_

Rhioga lowers his head. Another door to his memory opened, but he never meant to reminisce about the pain of losing. 

“What’s the point of me surviving if you guys didn’t?”

He repeats the question, just now no one is going to give an answer. What he received back then was not what he expected to hear. He didn’t want to be a hero, nor does he now. 

“I told you it’s suicide.” His grip around the blades loosened, dropped them down on the ground with loud clangs. “It isn't worth it. It isn't worth anyone’s sacrifice.”

_What kind of guy let his friends walk to the doom’s door?_  
_What kind of hero failed to protect those he cares about?_

_You’re strong, Rhioga_  
“If I am, then they all should be here. Then you too… should be here.”

Rhioga shook his head. The image of those silhouettes became clear enough in his head, to see the faces of his fallen comrades, and a single woman he failed to save. He remembers none of the actual events, but the feeling of loss getting stronger as each piece comes together. Maybe what took the life of his friends is not the war, but his weakness. Maybe his inability to keep them safe was what took them away.

He can’t even remember their names yet. The voices, the memories of important talks they had is the only clue he has. Putting the puzzle together, he could tell how much slipped out from his hands. 

“Say, why did I… why did we end up in this place? You know, right?” There is no response from her, but Rhioga can tell the reason. “What I thought was the aftermath of a war… it wasn’t a war, was it? It was a death-match. Right?”

Silence.

“After I fought that creepy thing, I realized a lot of things. It seems the only way to regain all my memories is to beat that tower. But what is in there? Why do I have to go to… remember all of you?”

_I’m sorry, Rhioga_

Rhioga lifts his head. Albeit his eyes staring into particularly nothing, he is almost sure he can see the faint shadow in front of his eyes, a bit unstable thanks to the strong wind. A silhouette of a woman, the same woman who appears in his dream nearly every night. The same woman talks to him inside his head.

“Are you… locked in there? And the others too?”

She doesn’t answer. But the look on her transparent face, the faint shifts on her eyebrows, and the way her lips curved into a sad smile. It tells him more than her words could.

“I’ll go, yeah. I’ll go save you all, and prove myself too. To whoever it is.”  
_Please forgive us_  
He shook his head. “I’ll give you guys a good beating later. But… don’t apologize.”  
_Thank you, Rhioga_

Rhioga stares at her. He reaches out his hand, about to touch her cheek. But he knows his hand will touch nothing but empty air. His skin can feel nothing aside from the cold wind. He comes to badly miss the warmth coming from another living.

_[What is your worth?]_

Rhioga turns around upon hearing that heavy voice. His gaze locked at the tower in the distance.

_[What is your worth?]_

He unsheathed his blade, pointing in its direction.

_[What is your worth?]_

“I am worth a million times more than your existence, whatever you are.”

=====

He shakes his numb hand.  
Fog formed from his cold breath. 

At this height, the air is getting thinner, pierces through his lungs with each inhale. Steep pathways he has to take, looking for any safer detour than climbing up the ice cliff. He honestly underestimates the distance he needs to walk. Though it’s clear the long road ahead will become another big hurdle. Thanks to the terrain, it requires more than stamina for one to pass. Strong endurance is playing a big factor if he wants to make it out alive. And if he is allowed to be honest, his limbs have long since given up.

_Don’t give up, Rhioga. We are here with you_

“Easy for you to say…”

He sighs, rubbing his hands together in an attempt to get as much warmth as he could. He leans on the stone wall behind him, stares at the white cloud stretching as far as he could see. The silence here is a bit different than the lower ground. It gives him a strange sense of comfort, enough to stop him from being bothered by the creeping loneliness. Only here he thinks it’s good to be alone without feeling miserable. And he doesn’t even know why.

Last night, he had another dream of her. This time, the image was more vivid than ever, enough for him to recall her beautiful face, picturing the voice she has despite he could hear nothing. When she took her hand, the warmth coming from that little skinship was enough to warm him up all night. It still hurts him, despite the dream being particularly a happy dream. Maybe because he is aware the reality is the total opposite of those happy moments. Deep down, he knows even if he managed to free her, it might be too late to hold her again.

_Rhioga_

“I’m fine.” He opens his eyes. “You can’t read my mind, can you? I’m okay, just a bit reminiscing of things I can’t remember yet.”

He wonders why he bothered to explain. The conversation he had with her voice is always one-sided. Even if he doesn’t answer, it will change nothing.

“You always… saying things I want to hear.” A faint smile appears on his worn-out face. “Thank you. I won’t stop until I… see you and remember you. But let me take a short rest for now.”

There is no answer for her. Unlike the awkward silence he used to feel, this time her silence is a bit relaxing. A swirl of the cold wind enters his hearing, it sounds a bit like a gentle melody. As much as he refuses to believe the nature of this place still has the knack to be gentle, he must say the comfort it brings is what he needs the most. Unconsciously, he hums an old tone that pops into his mind. He doesn’t know where it comes from, could care less, and tries to enjoy the nostalgia it brings.

But he knows, moments like this will never last long.

He dodged an arrow shot from the distance. His eyes squint trying to see through the cold mist, but barely able to tell if someone is hiding across the cliff. The icy mountain slowly changed, melted, and burned to a terrifying degree. The heat it blasted out reached where he was sitting, forcing him to sweat. But rather than how a single person managed to burn up an entire mountain, he is more stuck to how familiar the scene in front of him is.

The deja vu is too strong, Rhioga wipes the sweat rolling down from his temple, did I face this in the past?

Slowly, the murderous aura dissipated into nothing. The figure in the distance left, pretty much what it did just now is merely a greeting. Rhioga can tell this one is much stronger than the previous Keeper. And the way it provokes Rhioga is so swift, he nearly lured into the trap.

The sun hadn't even risen properly when he started climbing. Rather than crossing the path to get into the mountain, he decides to climb higher then jump across. He’s aware of the risk, his body might be unable to handle the sudden change of heat. But there is no other shortcut. And from all the path he had taken to be here, another hurdle no longer fazes him.

He saw the figure, standing in the middle of blazing flame, waiting for him. Rhioga jumps from the top, bearing the painful wind that grazes his skin. His hand reaches out to the spear latched onto his back as the figure grabs his bow. They both aim their weapons at each other, waiting for the right time with the distance between them shortening at a speed of light.

The figure launched the first attack. The arrow shot, Rhioga tilts his head barely to avoid the hit and has it grazed his face. He throws his spear as hard as a counter and the figure expectedly dodges it as well. When he landed and rolled forward to grab his spear, he didn’t wait and threw the stone ice he brought. The figure somersaults backward. Amidst the hot, blazing flame, he can see the face properly. It appears human, but the aura it lets out tells it’s nothing human at all.

Rhioga charges at him, swinging his spear at unbelievable speed. The man dodges all his attacks, jumping here and there without a chance to draw his bow. The advantage Rhioga has against a ranged-weapon user is fully utilized. He knows the danger this guy has if he let him launch a full-blown attack. Besides, his body might give up if he stays in this heat for too long.

Seems he understands what Rhioga is after. He jumps so high, creating enough distance between them, and draws his bow. Rhioga grit his teeth while dodging the raining arrow, half-amazed and half-annoyed by how fast he can shoot. One of the arrows hit Rhioga’s shoulder, slightly faltering his run. And another one hit his thigh, nearly forcing him to fall flat on the hot ground.

_Not yet!_

From his waist, Rhioga draws the whip chain. His opponent hesitates for a brief second because he didn’t see where it came from, quickly jumps even further. The stale between as they wait for the other to make a move feels nerve-wracking. Rhioga didn’t realize he was holding his breath, not letting his guard down for a second. The enemy also stood still watching him, waiting for the same moment.

Rhioga grips his whip hard. With a precision aim, he dashes and launches his whip. The enemy moved from his spot, didn’t faze as Rhioga’s attack literally broke the ground he was standing on. Flames come from beneath their feet, add more to the already high tension. Rhioga needs to finish it fast, he can tell the fight will be a hard one compared to the other Keeper.

_He’s being defensive_

Rhioga doesn’t want to waste the chance. The flames literally burned the whole mountain, turning it into a volcano. Flame walls have been up and down everywhere, burning him as well, gives more pain from reopening his old wounds.

He charges. He cut the distance between them once again, giving his enemy no time to take his arrow. Rhioga tries to slice him into two using his spear, but he blocks it using his bow and pushes Rhioga away. Rhioga took that chance when he shifted his weight, kicked one of his legs hard enough to make him stumble, and plunge. Rhioga’s attack hits his shoulder, literally tearing it open, but he doesn’t make the faintest sound at all, as if he doesn’t feel any kind of pain.

_This’s bad_

Rhioga planned to disturb his pace with small but endless wounds. But if he doesn’t feel any pain, then Rhioga’s only choice is to immobilize him. Rhioga aims low on his legs immediately. Since he isn’t used to dueling in low standing, it’s a bit challenging. And the heat doesn’t help him focus at all.

The enemy pulls the string, shoots a few arrows at the same time. Rhioga dodges all of them, catches one in his bare hand and throws it back. His eyes quickly shift to the ground a few meters ahead. Another flame wall is about to burst.

_I can use it_

Rhioga backs away as he charges. The flame wall is up as expected, catching him off guard. He stumbles to the side, has his legs burned by the walls and for a few seconds forget about Rhioga. When he snapped back, Rhioga’s spear was only inches away from his forehead. There is not enough time to dodge it, and the sharp blade pierced into his skull mercilessly.

Rhioga panting hard. His sweat is drenching his clothes. He pulls his spear out of the broken skull, stares down at the corpse fallen and burned by the flame. He took the bow lying next to it and ran away from the scorching fire.

=====

Rhioga heaves his body as he reaches the highest ground of the tower. His breath is running thin. His legs being dragged closer to where a giant statue is standing. His eyes flared, no longer able to hide his fury.

_[What is your worth?]_

Now that he’s here, the voice has become clear. He dropped himself on the cold ground, catching his breath while glaring at the statue. He hasn’t said a single thing ever since he defeated the last Keeper, not even to her who strangely has been trying to motivate him. 

_[What is your worth?]_

Rhioga grits his teeth. The anger he feels is too deep.

“Who do you think you are, asking my worth?”

After he left the burning mountain, another piece of his memory returned. The image of war, the countless battles he and his forgotten comrades went through, the critical moments of his loved one slipped out of his hand in front of his eyes, he nearly went insane. 

The sacrifices he didn’t need were made, all to give him this chance to reach the place.

_[What is your worth?]_

Furious, Rhioga breaks the ground with a single stomp. The crack makes its way to the statue, but not enough to leave even a single scratch. It’s being protected by a strong, invisible barrier.

The wind is swirling on Rhioga’s palm. He blasts it away, aims for nothing in particular. He just wants to release his frustration.

_Rhioga_

_[What is your worth?]_

The two voices overlapped, adding more to his frustration.

 _Rhioga, calm your mind_  
“Easier said than done. You know exactly why I’m furious.”

She says nothing more. Rhioga walks around, studying the whole place. Magical barriers are up everywhere. If he were to fight here, he’s going to be at a disadvantage. Though now that he’s here, any hurdle or handicaps he has to face no longer bother him, thanks to his building anger.

Not far from where the statue is standing, there are 4 stone coffins. A magical seal is covering it, preventing the coffins from being opened. He can tell, the reward--if it can be said a reward--is only accessible after he defeats the demon. Or whatever currently resides.

He returns to the giant statue. His height barely reaches its feet, standing tall menacingly, with a red jewel glowing from the globe in its hands. He looks around once again, notices all the magic circles forming in this place are glowing at the same rhythm as the jewel. 

_So that’s the key?_

He doesn’t move from his spot, just staring at the jewel. Maybe it’s the real thing, but he knows better than climbing on the statue to get it. Deadly traps surely in place and ready to eat him alive.

_[What is your worth?]_

Rhioga inhales deeply. His mind slowly calmed down. The rage is still there, but he manages to suppress it not to cloud his mind. Unlike the fight with the Keepers or the death-match he did before he lost his memory, will be nothing to compare with this one, he knows. His body remembers indeed. The eerie feelings, the numbness facing incredible killing intent, the hopelessness in front of the powerful invincible.

 _Don’t be scared, Rhioga. You’re far stronger than you ever know_  
“I’m not… scared.” Yet his voice trembles as he said so. “I don’t fear the fight I’m gonna have. I… don’t want to face what comes after.”

_[What is your worth?]_

The cloud shifts. Thunderclaps from afar, followed by the strong wind. He feels a strong presence coming from behind, walking slowly as if announcing their arrival, as well as giving him a chance to run for his life. He doesn’t. He stood still, waiting for this powerful entity to step in the circle where he is.

_[What is your worth?]_

They spoke with the same glitching and heavy voice. Rhioga turns around. Not far from where he is standing, they are giving him a stare through the shrouded face, hiding their real shape.

_[What is your worth?]_

“Stop your blabber and fight already.”

Rhioga unsheathes his blades and charges forward. They lift their hand at the same time. Suddenly, a giant appears behind them and roars. Rhioga has to stop and covers his head, sacrificing his arms torn by the sharp wind enough to cut him apart. He pushes his way through amidst his eyes blurred by the wind. 

Their hand shifts. The giant reaches out its hand to where Rhioga is, creating a layer of magic circle beneath Rhioga’s feet. The gravity changes in that field forced Rhioga to be on his knees. His painful groans barely audible thanks to how heavy his body becomes. 

Not giving him a chance to do anything, the giant lifts its other hand and swings it towards Rhioga, about to crush him on the ground. Rhioga struggles to force his hand up, manipulates the gravity between his palm and the giant’s hand, and uses it to push himself out of the magic field. He is thrown away to the statue behind him, cracks a few bones from the impact of his fall. Fresh blood dripping from his nose and mouth as he slowly stands.

_[What is your worth?]_

He heaves his body up, uses his spear as his leverage. He murmurs something inaudible, and a magic circle appears beneath his feet. The ground breaks as stone spikes rise from below, reaching fast to his opponent. The giant moves its hands, covers them from the attack, has its hand torn to pieces in return. Rhioga casts another large spell, hitting the giant right at its head. The giant roars, but it doesn’t take long for it to lose its form and disappears.

Rhioga charges, flung his whip chain. They shift to dodge his attack and steps back. A magic book appears in their hand, the pages turning as fast as they chant the spell. The ground shakes along. Rhioga charges faster but halted as a broad shadow looming from above. When he raises his head to look, the statue behind is raising its leg, ready to stomp him. Rhioga has to change his course to the side to avoid it. The blast sent him flying, but this time he is more prepared and landed safely.

_[You are unworthy]_

They cast another spell. The magical barrier formed around them to protect them as they performed another ultimate spell. The chant is loud, ringing into Rhioga’s ears. Thunders roaring so close, giving another dreadful noise enough to disturb his mind. It’s really hard to concentrate with all these voices.

_[You are unworthy]_

Rhioga draws his bow. He murmurs another chant. The tip of his arrows lit and burned by the blue flame. Aiming for the barrier protecting them, he shot. The arrows easily avoid the statue and hit the barrier, burn it, but not enough to tear it down. Rhioga shot another, and more, and more. He can barely see them amidst the flame and smoke, yet he doesn’t stop shooting, not even when his fingers start to bleed. 

The statue moves in his direction, walking slow but shaking the ground with each step. Rhioga doesn’t budge, keep shooting his arrows. When he hears the crack from the barrier and the way their eyes shine bright, he knows he did it. He draws his string, casts the last arrow in his grip with a different spell, and shoots.

The barrier broke. His arrow pierces through their shoulder and pushes them backward. The statue is now in front of him, with one leg raised about to stomp him again. Rhioga threw aside his bow. He flung the whip chain hard in their direction, letting his body be dragged by the speed. Sound of something breaking from behind him as the statue stomped the ground.

_[You are unworthy]_

“SHUT UP!!!”

Rhioga let go of the chain as soon as they are within reach. With a spear in hand, he flung. The spear already cast with a destructive spell easily broke any defensive magic they cast on themselves, stabs their heart, and killed them in a single, deadly strike. The impact of his attack shakes the whole tower. The giant statue crumbles along with this creature beneath him. The red jewel hidden in the globe fell to the ground, rolling to his leg. Silence follows. The magical patterns are written all over the place dimmed and dead. 

Rhioga is panting as he stares at the jewel near his foot. His mind is rolling as his memory returns one by one. Everything, far from the past to the gruesome war he took which ended up erased his mind. He remembers everything. 

About them.  
About her.

Rhioga drags his legs towards the coffins. The seal is still active, but using the jewel, he manages to break it with a single touch. His hands tremble as he moves the lids one by one, stares at the faces currently lying still inside, ones which he no longer recognizes despite all his memories already returned.

The skeletons inside are in good condition. He couldn’t tell if they ever suffered as he took the time to reach this place. He is late, far too late. Maybe his amnesia was to prevent him from coming, so he doesn’t need to remember the dreadful event and bearing the lonely future he’s about to walk on.

He doesn’t move an inch. No tears are rolling. However, the pain lingers. He mourns as he holds the hand of his beloved. His face is marred by old scars, the aftermath of a war. Yet what hurts him the most is not the battle he had fought and lost. He can fail thousands of times, he wouldn’t mind. But to look at the remaining of his sworn-brothers?

_Thank you, Rhioga_

Voices overlapped, men and a woman. Their feelings reached him, and he knows them well. The gratitude is not something he wants to hear, if he is allowed to be honest. But at the very least, a little burden is lifted knowing they’re all free.

His fallen comrades.  
And his beloved.

Rhioga puts his hand on his chest, praying for their souls.  
From behind, the sun is rising, lit the whole ground with its warm and blinding light.

====================


End file.
